AAUP MINUTES

September 7, 2006

 

Members Present:  Paula Hinton, Jessica Joy, Kristin Pickering, Tony Baker, Katherine Osburn, Wali Kharif, Kurt Eisen, Andy Smith, Josie McQuail, Jon Jonakin, Elizabeth Ojo, Tom Saya

 

Agenda, and Minutes from previous meeting, were approved, with the addition of one item (the Newsletter) to the agenda.

 

Old Business:

 

Kharif—Membership—We currently have 56 members.  Three more people have joined the payroll deduction program.  We lost at least 1 member.  So far he has heard from 32 of 49 of last year’s members who used payroll deduction.  He has sent another notice to members who have not yet responded.

 

Jonakin—Treasurer’s Report—As of yesterday (9-06-06) we have $1,640.46.  The second quarter dues have been paid.

 

Programs—Pickering—Later, under ‘New Business.”

 

Saya—Committee A—Last year one person asked for help, but all he/she required was some support.  No action was taken.

 

Eisen—Committee R—Over the summer he met with the incoming conference president, Tony Blasi, from TSU.  Blasi is following up on state conference interest in employing someone to lobby on our (state conference) behalf.  They are considering a political science professor from TSU who has dealt with sensitive academic issues in the past and who seems to have the right temperament for lobbying.

 

McQuail—Committee W—(Members present proposed we examine gender pay equity issues this year.  It was suggested we contact Glenn James about this, or Wayne Sadler in Human Resources.  McQuail agreed to pursue this.)

 

Pickering—New Faculty Orientation/Workshop—Pickering had asked Leo McGee if we could speak at the New Faculty Workshop in August.  He replied that the schedule was too full, so we were allowed to put information regarding AAUP in the packets given to faculty at the workshop. 

 

There was a general discussion regarding whether or not we should push for a physical presence at the workshop every year.  Those present agreed that it would be a good idea to ask again, but earlier this time, perhaps at the end of the spring semester.  It was also suggested that we should present AAUP as a part of the discussion on academic freedom/tenure issues during orientation. 

 

Pickering will speak to McGee again.

 

There were other suggestions as well: Send a small committee to personally invite new faculty and welcome them?  Or have a small lunch for them?  Or invite new faculty to the fall social?  Those present decided that a luncheon was a good idea.  We will plan to have one beginning next fall and will use AAUP funds to pay for it.  We will issue a personal invitation to the luncheon at the orientation.

 

New Business:

 

Osburn—Fall Forum—We will have three gubernatorial candidates speak regarding their vision for the state of TN, especially the following three issues: education, economic development, and immigration.  Emails have been sent to the Republicans and Democrats, and Andy Smith will contact the Green Party candidate.

 

We have reserved Derryberry auditorium for October 9.  We are waiting to hear back from the candidates.  If they cannot come on the 9th, Mark Creter has said he can make the Backdoor Playhouse available to us.  All those contacted sound interested.  If they do not come they can probably send a policy representative.  Kurt Eisen will speak to the Chamber of Commerce to make this a community event.

 

Smith—We will also be inviting a community member to be a monitor, such as the mayor of Cookeville or the editor of the paper.  The last two fall forums have been very inward looking (examining academia, particularly our issues) so we are hoping this will be attractive to a wider audience, something that will involve the public.  We want to present this as a service to the community.

 

Osburn—Fall Social—Katherine has volunteered to have it at her house.  She suggests we should use it as a way to reach out to new faculty members since we aren’t having the luncheon this year.  The social will be Friday, October 20, at 7:00.  Everyone who attends (excepting new faculty members or new AAUP members) should bring food or cash to cover costs.  AAUP will pay for beverages.  Spouses are welcome!

 

Joy—Newsletter—Trying to get it out before the Fall Forum.  Will be a little smaller because of the time crunch, but we really want to use it to promote the forum.  Articles for the newsletter:

            Eisen—Fall Forum

            Pickering—Welcome

            Osburn—Fall Social and Spring Forum

            Smith—State Meeting

 

Articles are due Friday, September 15.  Please email them directly to Jessica Joy.

 

Such Other Matters:

 

Smith—Regarding adjunct, part-time, and temporary faculty issues…  The state meeting on the 28th will focus on these.  He is willing to draft a letter/motion to take to the meeting, asking the TBR to do something about regular faculty overload and adjunct pay scales. 

 

Eisen—Community colleges have been the primary obstruction here.  They use a lot of adjuncts.  They are trying to keep costs low. 

 

Baker—It would be better to have minimum rather than maximum levels set.  We need something other than the current per-course contract amount.  It exploits full-time faculty and others.

 

Smith—He will have a preliminary draft of what he’d like to present at the state meeting at our next meeting (October 5).

 

Kharif—We should check and see how other states handle this as we may find some good examples to follow.

 

Pickering—Should we invite President Bell to come and talk to us at one our meetings this fall?  (Those present agreed that we should.)

 

Pickering asked that members submit questions for Bell to her, prior to the meeting, and she will send them to him.  She will try and get him to come to either the November or December meeting.

 

Meeting adjourned at 11:50 a.m.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Paula Hinton

TTU AAUP Secretary